Hello……… I believe to be at the "tip of the iceberg" of a disgustingly fraudulent, deceptive ring of scammers who portray themselves as a "rescue" organization. Some of the known breeds they "rescue" are Yorkshire Terriers (Yorkies), French Bulldogs (Frenchies), Chihuahuas, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Cavaliers, and even Retrievers and Great Danes!
These people go to puppy mill auctions and bring back masses of ill-bred, in-bred, often sick puppies, with health and medical conditions that will bear life-long consequences (i.e. luxating patellas) and require costly veterinary procedures. It has been suggested that they are also possibly selling foreign import puppies, as it is unlikely that millers would give up so many puppies.
Of course, not only one person can carry on this volume and degree of deception. I am gathering additional names, and hope by putting the word out I will learn of more scumbags.
However, the woman I am most familiar with goes by the names Sarah Vail, Sarah Fox, Sarah Vail-Fox. She lives on English Setter St. Corona, CA 92880 (contact me directly and I will happily provide her home address in Riverside County; her hooks likely reach throughout southern CA and likely beyond).
She has operated under numerous kennel, broker and/or FRAUDULENT "rescue" organization names. The ones that have been discovered so far are: foxxxpaws, all breed rescue, coastalk9rescue, paw prints by the sea, Le Fox Puppies, brusselsnfriends.
When claiming to be a "rescue" organization, she states the bogus group's 501c3 tax-exempt status is "pending". You won't make your check payable to the rescue organization, as is THE ONLY acceptable, legitimate means of payment. Linda Vail in Riverside county, CA is making easy-money by personally receiving these "rescue adoption" funds TAX FREE!
For those unfamiliar with how an organization "becomes" a charity, this is how it works: the group must FIRST apply for a FEIN (which is basically the same "identifier" as an individual's Social Security Number). The IRS issues this number, and it does not change. When a group applies for this FEIN, they also have to indicate the "type" of organization they are; if they intend to operate as a charitable/non-profit organization, they indicate this. HOWEVER, they must actually APPLY to be recognized as such by the IRS. They must file a form, as well as provide copies of their organizing documents and financial statements. When the IRS receives all of this, they issue a Letter of Acknowledgement to the organization, which indicates the "pending" status of their application. IF all of the organization's documentation is approved, the IRS will then issue a Determination Letter/Ruling that recognizes the group has been organized and operates in accordance with IRS guidelines consistent with a non-profit charity that is exempt from paying federal income taxes.
Think about that........how easily do you believe the Federal Government is going to "give up" on tax income?? The IRS does not award tax-exempt status without sufficient proof that an organization truly does operate in a transparent, non-profit manner.
In CA, an organization must go thru a similar process with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General's Office.
A LEGITIMATE charitable organization will happily and immediately supply proof of its exempt status to anyone who asks.
I have a tremendous respect for legitimate animal rescue groups. They work tirelessly and endlessly, very often at a great financial cost to them which is never "reimbursed". Their dedication is real and genuine. What Sarah and others in these "scam rescue rings" does is despicable and self-serving, tainting the hard work of legitimate rescue efforts.
If you paid money to a legitimate rescue organization, that check would be made payable TO THE ORGANIZATION, not an individual!! Think about that, also....these people are taking your charitable money as income and NOT paying taxes on it!! This is tax fraud, a punishable federal crime.
It will take more than one person's complaint for the IRS to seriously investigate this ring of scumbag scammers. If you believe you have been scammed by "Sarah" operating fraudulently as a "rescue" organization, then I URGE YOU TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY off-list at:
stoprescuecharityscam@yahoo.com
I will ask you some specific questions about your experience, and I will share much more information about recourses that might be available to us. I prefer not to share this info in an open format, as I know Sarah and her cohort lurk on these boards. When you contact me, please include links to previous posts you have made on this Board about your experience with Sarah and/or her "rescue", so that I have a reasonable expectation that what you are telling me is truthful.
Following is a sampling of information I have gathered thus far:
A now-disconnected (home??) phone # for Sarah was: 951-734-8184 (Sarah used this # for all of her
foxxxpaws@aol.com dog sale advertisements in the LA Times and The Recycler)
Another cell # used in a recycler.com ad for foxxxpaws: 951-280-1241
As of 12-08-07, Sarah was employed by “Pete” at Golden State K9 Training/Kennels (12235 El Sobrante Rd. but entrance is off of Blackburn Riverside, CA 92503 951-237-9739). This is where I first met Sarah; she kennels many of her puppy mill purchases and suspected foreign imports here before they are re-sold as bogus “rescues”.
Another cell phone: 909-519-6323 This is the # she used to scam a number of YorkieTalk people.
Gina Portillo (another contact name in recycler ad for foxxxpaws)
951-285-5458
Were you told your puppy was a "rescue"?? Were you told it was "saved" from a puppy mill, or relinquished by a "back-yard breeder", with it's Mom and littermates?? What were you told was "included" in the "rescue adoption fee" (i.e. vet insurance, training, etc)?? What were you told were the results of the puppy's initial vet exam?? What were you told when you asked for the puppy's medical history to-date?? Were you told the pup had been micro-chipped, and did your vet in fact find a chip?? Did you pay a "refundable neuter deposit"?? What was the form of your payment?? If by check, to whom was the check made payable?? Did the “rescue” have a web-site?? Was there an e-mail address other than something like “info@________”?? If you ever received an e-mail, was it ever “signed’ by a person, or did they indicate who was contacting you?? Was there a contact phone number you could call?? When someone called you and got your voice mail, would they leave a return phone number for you to return the call?? Would anyone volunteer their name?? Did you hear a lot of terms such as “dog coordinator”, “director”, “funds coordinator” tossed around, but were never given any actual names or any means of contacting someone directly??
Do not believe that any recourse available will be easily attained, or will happen overnight. But if you have the determination and tenacity, and wish to put in the effort that will be required to right a practice that is wrong on so many levels, then please contact me.
stoprescuecharityscam@yahoo.com